Nicky Phillips | Schools Week

Eight key principles to help boost pupils’ mental health

Schools that help their pupils to be mentally healthy give children and young people the opportunity to get the most out of their education and to prepare for adult life. It also means that they get off to a good start as they can better cope with the stresses and strains they might face in […]

The reality of school funding cuts

We may know who will govern the country for the next five years, but the detail of education funding under a Conservative administration remains opaque David Cameron has called for greater efficiency and lean management in public bodies, a call that signals a strong intent to make further cuts to public services. In their pre-election […]

Why there is an ‘invisible’ quality to education

There is much more behind an academic grade than a child’s computational capacity or his mastery of the 3Rs (to receive, remember and regurgitate) on a given day. It also includes his character traits and attitudes to learning, his creativity, his motivation, his levels of curiosity Many elements of teaching and learning remain hidden. The […]

Early Excellence picks up 60 per cent of the baseline assessment market – at least one other provider likely to lose approval

More than half of England’s primary schools have chosen Early Excellence to provide their reception baseline assessments – meaning that at least one of the other five providers looks set to lose its government approval. Early Excellence’s national development manager Jan Dubiel (pictured) told Schools Week that “slightly over 11,000 schools, or “about 60 per […]

Regional schools commissioner snubs parents during Redditch decision talks

A regional schools commissioner held one-to-one talks with 17 Redditch school leaders over fears that his decisions could “decimate” the town’s education system – and then pulled out of a meeting with parents just 24 hours before it was due to take place. Pank Patel (pictured), regional schools commissioner for the West Midlands, approved applications […]

Smart new teachers flock to coasting schools for an easier life

Highly qualified teachers are more attracted to schools serving the wealthiest and highest attaining pupils, research suggests. Sophie Scott looks at how this affects learners in more deprived schools, and what can be done to correct the imbalance. Narrowing the achievement gap between rich and poor pupils has been a priority for more than 40 […]

Cornish free school to be merged with nearby academy

A £4.5 million free school will merge with a nearby academy after failing to attract enough pupils. St Michael’s Catholic Secondary School in Camborne, Cornwall, opened in September 2012 and currently has about 150 pupils, against a planned intake of 180. Last year Ofsted told the school that it required improvement but noted that financial […]

How Bristol schools pool teacher applicants to find the best

Anecdotal evidence suggests that recruiting teachers is getting tougher. Recruiting teachers into challenging schools is tougher still. Matt Butler (pictured), the principal of Oasis Academy Brightstowe in Bristol, says his city’s solution is for secondary headteachers to “share” job applicants. Mr Butler’s school serves a disadvantaged area, and like many similar schools, has had historic […]

We want to know why our free school bid failed, says parent group

The leader of a parent group that unsuccessfully applied to open a free school in south London wants to know more about why their bid was rejected. In the eighth wave of free school applications, two competing groups submitted proposals for a new secondary school on the site of Dulwich Hospital. Catherine Rose (pictured), chair […]